Method of signaling traffic by a hand device



March 14, 1933. A, H 1,901,411

METHQD OF SIGNALING TRAFFIC BY A HAND DEVICE Filed May 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l f/7I/6/7ZLOI, C/arencefi Ric/7,

- March 14, 1933. c, A RIC H. 1,901,411

METHOD OF SIGNALING TRAFFIC BY A HAND DEVICE Filed May 5, 1926 v 2"She"e s -Sheet 2 fnl/entqxt C/arence .9 2 R/ch,

mite/776% Patented Mar. 14, 1933 omnnncn A. men.

or. LYNNgMASSAGHUSEITS mmnonor' sIeNALING-rmme mt A mwic'n a Application filed m 5,

.The' invention relates to a method'of sig naling-traflic by a hand device of the type which is secured to the hands of an officer for controlling and directing trafiic ;on the highways or other places; The invention consists of a'harnesssecured to the handslof an o'flicer, having lamps projectlng;varicol-i ored lights, such as red indicating danger or stop; while a. green light indicates safet "a a:

y 01 0. preferably from anelectricalsonrce. These signal lights are so arranged as toconform to thefnatural direction or swinging movement of the {hand'sfandarms andvcan be readily. recognized by operators of oncoming vehicles in both directions.

The invention further relates to amethod of controlling handsignsftlingv lamps by mere 3 cury switches. whichv will operate one lamp and open the electrical circuit of the other lamp while one isibeing used.

The object of the invention is "to provide signal lights .of diflt'erent colors to :be used at :night or in foggyweatherby traflic officers, which will-definitely indicate danger or stop, or safety or go. mcommonly used by traffic ofiicer's, hot when the red light is out of view theoper- 5 atorsof vehicles find it difiicult .to keep track oflthe oilicer when he :issignaling in the opposite directiomhut when 1 lights are used,

one of which signals"danger or stop ini r ct e nd n ther 5 safety or fgof, vehicles inbot rectionsare protected g Ae -further object oi the inwention consists of providing switches which will automatit signals and the arms, which will-"operate" one and close the other in onder of close when ineither are in use, a very large per cent of the necessar to operate the lamps;

Referringito thej figures,

Fig/1' shows the improved signaling device secured to thedran'd of .an ofiicer with the red or danger; ignal projecting i 2 shows the arm ofj the' officergbent back' upon itself with the's'ignaling device in The lamps receive their power.

' Danger signals use and also to thereby saving" electric energy v on theshand harness 13'. The; hand I etedit'o the hand hands 15,

iaaei'serialfirt.teaseri 'posifiolif nd' da -ran light projiehting 35in; cttiiq ffsa-fety-ffor.go; v Fig. 3 shows the hand of anjofiieer hanging by is side with; the signalingdevicein po sition,-hoth liglits-turned ofi'; 1 1 Fig. "4.- shows-a 'sidcelvationfoithe sigk nalingdevice; I

Fig 5 a front elevation ofithe' 6 .1s ,a diagrammaticiview-of same;

7 I the signaling system with theiredlig'ht projecting. 7 indicating danger? .orstop,;w'it h :twjo'inercury switches in relative Epbsitiongf 1 Fig. 7 isadiagrammatic view showing the green light-projecting, indicating fsafety" ".or

go, with; two mercury switches in a rela-il tive position; v

F Sis a diagrammatic view 'with bot-h" lamps turned 0a,. and two mercury switches inafrelative position; Fig. .9 shows .the redligi-htprojecting.indieating danger (fir-stop with one merciiry switch inarelative positiony Fig. 10' shows the green. light projecting lndicating F'safejt'y or go, with onemeroury switchin arelat iveposition; I i [Fig 11 showszbothwlamps turned ofi, with one mercury switch; a relative position.

In describing the invention and p mtns, 10 1indicatcs two; sets of signalin appa ratus,.onlyzone of which isshown achset. is provided with two lamps 1.1 and I2 secured toia suitable harness I3 whichislmoiinted gon providediwithlthe signaling apparatus which V venas freeiyaswordinary hand signaling and with the "varia V theofiicers hands 14, jiillflhtlS, each hand is or all di-H permits signals to be provided for night or foggy service; The

to the hand .andarm that igh will indicate a signal when the hand is 111. a;certain.,position.. To accomplish this the ,lamps are setapproximateiy' 13 .isprefenajhlymadeof composed of .two hands gammy the ahi gh. gnadeeleather brackets or any suitable device.

elf

. colored lights aperfectsignazling system-is call-y l-opei-a-te hy :the' movement of the hands;

ap t M harness 11 cm s heme-.1.

re i n s hi h-,areriv I bands .can be secured together b dj g mm trodes "35 and 36, thereby making a, contact The lamps 11 and 12 are supplied with electrical current from a suitable source 19 shown in diagram. The electrical current is red light is on and i current and controlled by the swingin of .the arm 20 from the body 21 of the 0 Cer. Two mercury switches 22 and 23 are enclosed in a suitable box 24: having a cover 25 held in position by screws. cThe mercury switch bulbs areso mountedin the box as towith stand jar and vibrations of the signaling op-'- eration. I s One of the main embodiments of the invention is to provide va1 methodor. signalinglight by the movements of the hands and arms of the trafiic oiiicer;'-that' is, when the officer raises. his hand in the; vertical position and hisain 'n the horizontal plane the redv light ore/danger will" come into iview and whenfthe arm is bentV If there isno traflicp'assing, the hands are dropped to the sides and boththe redand the green lightsg'o "out,f.thereby saving the electrical cutting downpthe cost of main;

tenance, When the'red light is on or lighted thecon tact is determined by theposition of the' switch which is in the same position for nat- ..,ural signaling byhand. In the Figure 6 the the green light is off, The red light indicates .danger or stop. for oncoming traifiqiwhile the green light indicates 'go or safety? To switch bulbs have to be located in a certaln l J mercury posltion,

ends of the tubes 22 and 23. I It c'an bereadily seenthat themercury 26 surrounds the ends of'the electrodes 28 and 29 making a'contact whichallows'thecurr'nt topass to the filamea or t l mp th vg t l and. 32. s

"The electrodes '33 mid 34 1ocated a the tier: 1

' bulb 23'show 'them'ercury 27 in such a position that no contact is made and the green .rro accomplish this lightis oil.

' IriF-igure 7 the greenlight 12 is on indicat and the red light. is ofi. function the hand of the ing ,go or safety oflic'eris [moved to bring the mercury bulbs 22fand 23 with a'horizontal position show- I I I I zontal position with the hand 1n a vertical along the side of mg the mercury I 26' and 27 the electhe bulbs, Thi'mer iir y27 covers to'throw' in the green light for go or" safetv. The current from the source 14*passes h g the lines 37 and 38'thereby completingthe circuit. In this view it will be'seen I 35 that the electrodes 29 age JF I P IQ I I shape with the hand in the horizontal position, the green light or, go willjcojme into'view.

throw on the red light and turn off the green light the mercury by the mercury, therefore no contact is made and the red light is ofi'..

In the Figure 8 both lights 11 and 12 are off showing that both hands of the ofiicer are hanging by his side, and under the condition it is seenthat the electrodes in both sets are in such a positionthat no contacts are made, indicating that both lamps "are out, which conforms to the natural traflic controlling position of the hands and arms.

It is understoodthat three functions of the lamps and the arnis are illustrated in the Figuresfi, 7 and 8, indicating a stopsignal in which a red light is shown and the oificers arm is'in a horizontal position and his hand is in an approximately vertical position. I In the Figure 7 the ofli'cers arm isfb'ent back upon itselfwith thehand in-thehorizont'al position with the green light showing, indi-f eating go orv safety.

I In Figure 8 both lights are out due to the oificers hands hang a ing downwardly by 'his sides with both lights out and indicating'no traffic;

The F1gures 9, I I constructionof myinvention which'isas efiective in every way as the previous appara 'but'is. much: cheaper to manufacturel tus The difference in the layout is that the stop, go and no 'traflic signals can I be accom plished by one mercury switch in the following manner." In Fig; 9 as also in'lO and 11 the bulb 40 is provided with'thr'ee electrodes il,"

42am 4:31 In the Figure 9 the tube is in the vertical position'with the mercury 44in the lower end connecting'up the electrodes 41 the/red for danger, while the'electrode leading to the green light is disconnected. I

In the diagramlO the mercury tube 40 is in thehori zontalposition, connecting up the electrodes 11 and 42 which energizes the lamp I showing green the electrode 43 connected. I V r I In the Figure 11 the mercury bulb is'inthie ,for go 'or safety, while trodes are disconnected, which indicates no traflicg, @.I,

fIrioperatiori the lamps 11' and 12secured to the harness is fastened tothe hands of the'officer, one set of apparatus secured to eachhand, both receiving their energy from a single electrical source. not necessary, but

stop or-idanger arm ,backupon itself 1 with the handlin the horizontal position, while by the position of the hand and isthrown inindicating fgo or safe 10 and 11 how. modified leading to thered light is dis This, however, is it is the preferable way. In-direc'tingtrafiic the oflicer can use either I hand as theconditionsrequire- To indicate on and 43 which'energizes the lamp l1 and show" I i inverted position-showing that all the 'elec Q the mercury switch the ree'n ty while the red light is off. When no traffic takes place, both hands and arms of the ofiicer are hanging by his sides, and by the position of the arms and the mercury switches both red and green lights are off.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

In a road arm and hand signaling device, a hand harness, means for mounting the harness on the hand of the operator, a casing having a red lens, a casing having a green lens,

a lamp mounted in each casing adaptedv to illuminate the lens, circuits for the lamps and a source of electrical energy, means mounting the first mentioned casing on one side of the i harness, means mounting the second mentioned casing on the opposite side of the harness, at substantially a right angle to the first casing, switch means for automatically closing the circuit to the lamp in the first mentioned casing when the arm and hand ofthe operator are raised to an "upright position, and for closing the circuit to the lamp in the second mentioned casing and opening the circuit to the lamp in the first casing when the hand and forearm of the operator is bent back over the upper arm, and means for opening the circuit to both lamps when the arm of the operator is dropped to the side, all three movements conforming to the natural movements of the hand and arm for regulating traific.

, CLARENCE A. RICH. 

